Close Call
Every year we say it – ‘It comes around so quickly’! No sooner are you turning the horses out in the fields for a summers break, than you are bringing them all back in again! All of them get 6-8 weeks in the field, depending on their physiques and schedule. Some get very fat very quickly, and that is weight that has to be trained off of them – so these horses get less time out in the field, others do not get so gross and can have a little longer. Some will need better ground, and will therefore need to be back running in the late summer, so they have a shorter break and are back earlier in preparation to run in September; on the other hand some need very soft ground, and there is no point in getting them back in July to be ready to run in early October – only to find there is no suitable ground for them to run on. Those ones usually stay in the field until August. All horses are different, and it takes varying amounts of time to get them fit from being fat in the field, but as a rule of thumb it is around 12 weeks.
The first of our team headed back into training this week. On Monday morning, six were due back in their stables with their trainers. Dino Bellagio had returned to Donald McCain on Sunday – as it fitted in well for him to do so. On Monday three more left Ivy Lodge Farm. Cloud Dancer was delivered back to Gary and Josh Moore. We had planned to get him back a couple of weeks ago – but felt that he needed a little longer in the field. Hopefully he will have a less interrupted season this time around and if the winter is less wet than last year, he will be seen to good effect over 2m4f to 3m. His niggly problems last term, have meant that he has dropped to a very attractive mark over hurdles, and hopefully he can capitalise on that this autumn.
Cloud Dancer heads of back to Cisswood
Tintagel Queen was collected by one of Olly’s team, and she headed back to Warren Chase. She looks great, has fully recovered from the fracture she sustained in January, and will be out in mares novice hurdles from October. She ran really well on her hurdles debut and is a mare we will have a lot of fun with this season. Hopefully she can follow the same route that we had planned for her last year before her injury, and she can run in a nice race or two in the spring.
Tintagel Queen on her way
Louise Kemble dropped Rockola back to Barbury Castle. Rockola had summered with her at The Elms and is another that would appreciate a sounder surface. She arrived back to her trainer looking well and refreshed. She will start of in mares novice hurdles in the autumn, where her experience in bumpers and hurdles last season should stand her in good stead.
Rockola leaves The Elms
At Ravenswell, Greyval and Intrepide Sud were both back in their stables with a new set of shoes on. Both have summered well. Greyval is well handicapped over hurdles, and we think there is a nice one in her this autumn – she also schooled over fences before she went on her break and was good over them too – so she could well make the switch to chasing this season at some stage.
Greyval looks delighted to be back to work!
Intrepide Sud showed that he is very capable of winning a hurdle race or two in his two runs this spring. He had been off games for 18 months with a leg injury and it was good to get him back – he was put away when the ground dried up and will be out again in October. Johnny Burke is sure that he can pay his way over hurdles before a switch to fences where he will definitely come into his own.
Intrepide Sud gets new 'Nikes'
A sixth one was due to be back in his stable on Monday but didn’t make it. Ridin Solo has had a good long break with Will Kinsey at Peel Hall but was found to have a foot abscess when he was due to leave, and so he has spent the week having treatment for that, and will remain with Will until the farrier is happy with him, and has him in a new set of shoes and ready to go straight into training. Will has had him on the walker this week, so his fitness regime had started anyway.
On Tuesday it was great to get some video updates from Olly Murphy and Jason Maguire. Olly delighted with Tintagel Queen and how she had returned from Ivy Lodge Farm. Jason sent through a clip of the The Grey Gatsby 2 yr old on the sand gallop. He is coming to the end of his ‘primary school’ and will head off to the field again soon – but not before he gets a couple of visits from some of his owners this coming week – if you would like to come and see him, please just let me know – there is a share available in him – and he ‘knocks your eye out’ to see him! Talking of syndicate membership, it has been a very busy week with new members joining NBR – thanks to all of those that have taken shares in our horses over the last week – lots of new faces, and it is always lovely to welcome back some folks that we already know! Lovely to welcome back old friends!
Wednesday – my Birthday – another year older – definitely not wiser I can assure you! We spent the afternoon over in Cambridge, and the evening with friends in Huntingdon – a few pints – a good feed and a lovely day! Before we set out – Alan King called to say that Rockola had settled in well, and he was very happy with her, and that the new filly (3 yr old by Lindas Lad) had arrived from Jamie Magee, and he was delighted with her as well. She has spent the last 6 weeks being broken in with Jamie, and he had done a great job with her. Alan will kick on with her and all being well she will make her debut in October. Josh Moore was also on to say the same about Cloud Dancer, who he reported to be very fresh when they got in him on Monday after he arrived but had now settled down and was back in his routine. Olly Murphy, who was in Ireland ‘enjoying’ a few days away with friends on his ‘stag’ overcame his hangover to call and say that he had declared Auditoria in Newton Abbot on Friday – she was in great form, and this looked the right race for her.
Thursday and Olly sent a clip of Auditoria schooling, and she really was in great form – she pinged up the four flights and looked in great order. Newton Abbot on a Friday is not a trip to relish – but it looked like it could be well worth the trip!
Badges were organised for a hard core group of her owners, and checking the weather I made sure I had put a couple of coats in the car! Election day – so we all headed out and out our X’s in a box – a sense of inevitability about the result – let’s hope that the new government are sympathetic to Racing’s needs – there are enough battles being fought within the sport at the moment without having to take on the law makers as well! In the afternoon we got some very worrying news from Ravenswell – Intrepide Sud had been found to be very uncomfortable at evening stables, and it very much looked like he was suffering with a severe bout of colic. Initial attempts to ease his discomfort were unsuccessful, and the vet was soon called, who confirmed the teams thoughts, and administered drugs to make IS comfortable. The vet was sure that his gut had displaced, which is very serious, as this can easily lead to further complications, and the need for extensive surgery. The best place for him was in the Clinic, where he could receive the very best of care, and he was rushed there very swiftly. It was touch and go with him for a few hours – as they confirmed that the gut was displaced – thankfully his condition did not worsen and over night the gut returned to its normal position. Although not out of the woods at this stage, it looked like he had turned a corner! Phew! Having lost horses through the complications of colic before, it is always a massive worry – but thanks to the vigilance and professionalism of the team at Ravenswell – what could have been a very serious situation appeared to have been avoided!
Friday morning and a positive update on IS – he had come through the night and was making a very positive recovery – he would remain at the vets over the weekend where they would reintroduce him to solid feed and monitor his progress continually, but hopefully he was over the worst. I headed off to Newton Abbot in a more positive mood. Not a nice trip on a Friday – nearly 5 hours to get down there, but we made it without a hitch. A wet afternoon, with constant drizzle, but we were all looking forward to seeing Audrey run! Sadly, things didn’t pan out how we had hoped. Having got the lead that we had hoped for, when Sean tried to inject some pace into the race as he had done last time out in Southwell, where he had most of the field beaten off half way down the back straight – Audry simply felt flat, and he couldn’t quicken it up as planned. She made a mistake 3 out and that was game over –eventually finishing a very laboured fourth. We were all left scratching our heads – as it happens, she would not have beaten the favourite, but to finish a tired fourth was disappointing – hopefully something would come to light to explain it.
Auditoria in Newton Abbot
The trip up the M5 was better than expected – the whole of Somerset was gridlocked north bound as we made our way south. Thankfully it had cleared by the time we headed back up the road, and although it was a very wet trip, the roads at least kept moving. I stopped off in Royal Wootton Bassett, an overnight stay – The Chrurchill Hotel – one of those new places that has a new pub ‘attached’. This one owned by Green King. A really nice room – the pub – huge, empty, and a limited menu due to staff shortages. It served a purpose, and I was fed and watered and got a decent nights sleep.
Saturday morning, I was greeted with torrential rain as I drew the curtains. Not ideal for a morning visit to Barbury Castle – but it wouldn’t put me off – I really wanted to see the new filly again! Sadly Debbie wouldn’t make it – having suffered with a very heavy cold all week – a wet morning on the side of a hill wasn’t going to do her much good – my iphone would have to do for photos! Get well soon Debbie! First lot we headed over to Sharpridge to see work, and I made the biggest mistake of the week, when I foolishly jumped out of the 4x4 at the bottom of the gallop with Kingy and agreed to walk up to the top with him! He has decided to get a little fitter and lose a bit of weight – I could do with doing the same so it seemed like a good idea at the time – by 1/3 of the way up I realised it wasn’t, by half way I was sure I was not getting to the top, by 2/3 distance I was sure I was going to die, and urged Alan to stride on ahead – not verbally as I couldn’t speak – I just waved him on! I did get to the top, not too far behind – but it did make me have a very good blow! When Alan repeated the feat second lot – I self certed myself and announced that I was on box rest for the remainder of the day! Once was enough! Alan was relieved – ‘Trainer kills owner’ was not a headline he wanted to see in the Racing Post!
Even when it is hosing down - Barbury is still beautiful
Second lot, Rockola was out – but remained in the school trotting – too soon for her to be going up the hill – (I know – I did it).
Rockola
The new filly on the other hand has been doing plenty of work with Jamie Magee and was ready to go up twice. She looked a picture as she warmed up and came up the hill twice with a group of babies at the same stage as her. She did it really well, and Alan is very pleased with her! She has a really good attitude to work, and moves very nicely, at this stage she looks like a lovely addition to the team. There is a share available in her – 07909 518902 or email nickbrownracing@gmail.com – get involved – we plan to start her off in October, she will be aimed at the National Hunt Juvenile Hurdles, and qualifies for 100% of the GBB bonuses on offer for British Bred fillies and mares who win bumpers and novice hurdles! A share makes a lot of sense!
Lindas Lad filly warms up
While getting pretty soaked at the top of Alans gallop, Olly called to say that there was a reason for Auditoria’s sub par showing the day before. She was heavily in season – it is something that she had shown us before – and she is a mare that is dramatically effected by it. When she cycles you certainly know about it – and it explains why Sean felt that she was just flat both before and during the race. It is something that has happened before and we will look into ways of preventing it happening again. We will speak to the vets on Monday and come up with a plan. At least there was a reason for it – as I said, she wouldn’t have won anyway – but she should have been second!
The remainder are all well – Mamoon Star in flying form on the hill gallop. He will be out again later this month, when he will sport some headgear to help him ‘apply’ himself a little more. If that works, he is dangerously well handicapped, if it doesn't, then he could well be heading off for a career in a different discipline. He is a lovely horse and could turn his hand to anything! Maria’s Flame is enjoying her holiday with Connor Brace. She will return to training a week tomorrow. One that will be back tomorrow is Old Blue Eyes – who heads back to his stable at Donald McCains. He is one that we are very much looking forward to this season – he has already shown us in his homework what he is capable of – and there are some very good days to be had with him! His half brother Dino Bellagio has settled back into a routine – he is always fun while he is fresh – in fairness he is fun most of the time! He should have a very good season now that he is over his aches and pains that held him up last term. Itchy Feet will return to work in the next week or so, and down at Ivy Lodge Farm – The Grey Gatsby is really coming together, and I am looking forward to seeing him in the flesh again this coming week. Our two homebreds are coming along at different rates – Floyd (Falco x Savingforvegas) is cantering on the gallop and lose schooling and reminds us all very much of his half brother – Barry (by Blue Bresil) who we have always held in the highest regard, and who really does look like having a very successful career ahead of him– his pal, Finbar (Falco x Molly Childers) is taking a little longer, and is just at the stage of being backed. He has been a hardy little soul, a but like his mother! At The Elms, Barry (Blue Bresil x Savingforvegas) is enjoying his holidays. This fine horse has always impressed and reinforced that feeling with a jaw dropping piece of work before he headed back to The Elms – he is very exciting for sure!!
Floyd having a lose school
Finbar long reining
As I type I have just heard that Intrepide Sud is finally out of the woods - he is back on hard feed, and passing his droppings normally. He will return to Ravenswell tomorrow. A huge relief!
A couple of stable visits planned for next week – and don’t be surprised if, by this time next week we haven’t added to the team – just a little something that we think is interesting!
